Updated 10pm - Adds Birkirkara FC denial of Serbian newspaper report
Birkirkara goalkeeper Miroslav Kopric has been arrested after being held for police questioning yesterday, sources have confirmed.
Miroslav Kopric.Mr Kopric, 31 and from Croatia, joined the Stripes in January 2016 on a free transfer from Croatian club NK Lucko. He was reported to police after club officials flagged what they said was "suspicious behaviour".
According to sources, a group of club officials including president Adrian Delia took Mr Kopric to a garage in Dingli, where they ordered him to spill the beans.
The goalkeeper reportedly denied any wrongdoing, prompting club officials to report the matter to the police.
Mr Kopric confirmed this version of events in comments given to a Serbian media portal. He told Serbian website Kurir that club president Dr Delia and six others had "kidnapped" him and ordered him to speak up about alleged match betting he was involved in.
"Since I did not participate in any fixing, I told them to feel free to turn to the police," Mr Kopric told the website. He claimed that officials had taken away his two mobile phones and laptop.
The committee members did not at any point coerce Mr Kopric, or make him act against his own free will at any time. At no point did the committee members act unlawfully, or take the law in their hands.- Birkirkara FC committee
In a reaction, Birkirkara FC's committee said it was categorically denying the false accusation of kidnapping Miroslav Kopric, in any sense of the word.
"The committee members did not at any point coerce Mr Kopric, or make him act against his own free will at any time. At no point did the committee members act unlawfully, or take the law in their hands," the club said.
Birkirkara FC supporters have reportedly put a lot of pressure on the club's management following a string of negative results which has seen the former Malta champions plunge to sixth in the Premier League table.
In a Facebook post yesterday, Dr Delia wrote about his disappointment that "football has been battered".
The club reaffirmed its faith in club coach Nikola Jaros.
Adrian Delia's Facebook post.